| In the 12th Century the Shogunate was formed. The | | | | non-sharp/drawing end and starting with the index |
| head of this regime was the Shogun, the supreme | | | | finger end of the hand, while retaining a fist, slowly |
| ruler. Under him where his regional 'daimyo' or 'dukes'. | | | | work the pencil/pen into the grip. |
| Under each 'daimyo' served the Japanese samurai. | | | | You will see the further into the grip the pencil goes, |
| When a samurai stepped out of line, became too | | | | the more resistance there is. You now can see how |
| unruly or displeased his 'daimyo', the samurai would | | | | important the little finger and ring finger would be for |
| often have to go through a procedure known as | | | | gripping samurai swords. To make matters worse, if |
| yubizume. This procedure is a very barbaric | | | | the samurai further disgraced himself he would be |
| punishment in which the first joint of the little finger | | | | required to take the next joint of his little finger off, |
| on the sword hand would be amputated. | | | | and this could even extend onto the other fingers. |
| Not only would this be a very painful punishment, but | | | | But what was the use in handicapping the samurai in |
| it served a much cleverer purpose. When holding a | | | | such a way? Well, not only did it serve as a constant |
| samurai sword the finger which has the strongest | | | | and shameful reminder, but made the samurai more |
| grip is the little finger. Each finger right up to the | | | | vulnerable than he had been before, therefore more |
| index has a weaker gripping strength. You can test | | | | reliant upon his immediate superior, his 'daimyo' for |
| this yourself. Make a tight fist with what would of | | | | protection. |
| been your sword hand, and take a slim object of | | | | This brutal practice of yubizume is still used today by |
| equal circumference throughout such as a pencil or | | | | the Yakuza / Japanese organised crime families as a |
| pen. Now, without causing you harm, take the | | | | means of punishing their unruly members. |